Ask HN: As a freelancer, how do you ensure clients pay?

I think Freshbooks makes it easier to bill (it sends the invoice in an email), easier to pay (they can click on a link and use their credit card) and provides a 3rd party record. Also since its completely online, there is no excuse related to waiting for things to go back and forth in the mail.

Usually if they don't pay right away I explain to them that I need them to always pay within a day or two. If they forget to pay after that, one extra email or IM is usually enough.

You might have to actually call them.

I also tend to not work on a project between the time that an invoice goes out and when it is paid.

From my experience once they are actually aware of the bill they usually pay within 0-3 days. If it takes longer than that, maybe you can get better clients.

What price range are the projects? If you don't mind me asking.

First thing is the payment schedule. I usually do 45% deposit, 45% at the end of the work, 10% when the site goes live. This ensure that I get at least 90% of the contract.

Also, have complete Terms and conditions. One important point is all the intellectual property that goes with your work => until complete payment, the work is yours, and usage of it is illegal. With final payment, I usually issue a letter transferring the intellectual property to the client.

An other important point is all the payment and refund policy. My policy is simple : no refund, projects started are to be paid in full. If the clients needs an explanation for that, explain that while you dedicate yourself to his project, you have to say no to other projects.

Make it easy to get paid. Set up an online payment system or anything that makes the relation frictionless. Even if it cost you a bit, it makes payment way faster to arrive (no need to go to the bank or post office, find the checkbook...).

One saying I like : Until you sign the contract, you have to be the mum of your clients, reassuring him, explaining things, understanding him. Once signed, you are his father : you are here to reminds him the terms of the contract. It means that you have to be thorough on revisions, delivery dates for contents, and of course, payments.

Trust your guts with clients. Usually, in my experience, clients who are hard to get payments from are the one hard to handle from the start. Usually individuals pr small companies, who try to get more for less. And know also that you have the right to fire a client if you feel that things go bad.

But the best way to get paid : make outstanding work, be nice and understanding. Know when you have to charge for a request and when it can be free. Little treats are always nice if it cost you close to nothing and it has value for the client.

I love this one : http://vimeo.com/22053820

We used a payment escrow for a project and it went perfectly. The project had a clear deliverable and a clear way to verify success, which made it especially easy.

This is a great idea.